North 405/605 on-ramp shut 24 hours

The crash was reported about 4:40 a.m., when a piece of machinery weighing more than 200 tons fell from the big-rig and crashed into a bridge guardrail, cracking the bridge.BRUCE CHAMBERS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

A freeway on-ramp near the border of Long Beach and Seal Beach will be shut down until at least Saturday morning after a heavy piece of machinery fell off a big-rig Friday morning, damaging the road, a guardrail and a bridge, authorities said.

The Seventh Street on-ramp to the northbound 605 and 405 freeways is expected to be closed for 24 hours, a California Highway Patrol dispatcher said Friday morning.

Studebaker Road and Seventh Street connecting to the eastbound 22 freeway also are closed.

The crash was reported about 4:40 a.m., when a piece of machinery fell from the big-rig, the dispatcher said.

Caltrans maintenance and structural crews are assessing the area, and temporary supports will be placed along the bridge to allow traffic from the eastbound 22 to the southbound 405 to pass underneath, spokeswoman Cindy Azima said. That transition road is expected to reopen Saturday or Sunday. Caltrans had initially hoped for a Friday reopening for the transition road, but work slowed as the machinery remained in position on the bridge, Azima said. The bridge itself will remain closed until further notice.

The truck had been carrying a 103-ton component of a rock crusher (earlier estimated at 200 tons), and the driver had a permit to carry the heavy load, according to Caltrans. The machinery was not part of the West County Connectors construction project in the area, Azima added.

In the meantime, Caltrans is recommending that drivers seeking the northbound 605 head north on Studebaker Road, then turn right on Willow Street. Drivers can access the southbound 405 by heading south on Studebaker Road, then turning left on East Second Street/Westminster Avenue, then heading north on either Seal Beach Boulevard or Bolsa Chica Road.

The crash was reported about 4:40 a.m., when a piece of machinery weighing more than 200 tons fell from the big-rig and crashed into a bridge guardrail, cracking the bridge. BRUCE CHAMBERS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Seventh Street on-ramp to the northbound 605 and 405 freeways and to the east 22 is expected to be shut down for 24 hours, the CHP said. BRUCE CHAMBERS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Caltrans workers and California Highway Patrol officers work out their plan for cleaning up an overturned 200-ton piece of machinery on the Seventh Street on-ramp to the northbound 605 and 405 freeways and eastbound 22. BRUCE CHAMBERS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Seventh Street on-ramp to the northbound 605 and 405 freeways is expected to be shut down 24 hours. A crash was reported about 4:40 a.m., when a piece of machinery weighing more than 200 tons fell from the big-rig. Caltrans officials have been been called to the area to examine damage to the roadway and bridge. BRUCE CHAMBERS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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